January 25, 2018
Radenska, the Slovenian version of Perrier, is naturally carbonated mineral water, and with first bottles filled in 1869 under its name Radenska Slatina (slatina - salty water in Slavic languages), perhaps one of the oldest Slovenian brands still on the market.
Perpetuum Jazzile for Radenska in 2011
The health-giving properties of Radenska have been known at since least 1833, when doctor Karl Henn first stumbled upon puddles of bubbly springs in the Radenci area, then returned three decades later to buy the land and explore it for the springs.
In 1882 health tourism based on Radenska Slatina started, and with the arrival of the railroad to Radenci in 1890 sales immediately jumped to one million bottles in that year along.
Although there is no data to say exactly when Radenska was first exported to foreign markets, such sales are evident from the old labels kept in the Radenska museum, showing that it was sold in Austria in 1921, and that the three hearts, introduced in 1936 were registered in Italy as Tre cuori (three hearts in Italian) in 1937, as the regulations stipulated at the time.
“The King’s spring: world’s best mineral water” (time not known)
“Radenska in all corners of the world” campaign (late 1980s)
Radenska was nationalised after the end of the war in 1945, and immediately spread throughout the Yugoslav market, with a peak market share of 80 % at the end of the 1960s. From then on the competition managed to recover, and Radenska’s market share started to shrink in Yugoslavia, down to 40% in the 1970s and with the greatest drop just following the dissolution of Yugoslavia.
Radenska in all corners of Yugoslavia (1988 commercial): With stereotypical depictions of people from the six republics and two autonomous regions, shown in the following order: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Vojvodina, Serbia, Kosovo, Monte Negro, and Macedonia.
Nevertheless, since the 1950s Radenska has also been exported to western markets, including Germany, Canada, Australia, Switzerland and Sweden. In the 1990s it entered Eastern European markets, most notably, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and in the spring of 2000 I even found a bottle in a shop in Taiwan. The owner, however, had no idea how it got there nor where it was from. Perhaps left behind by a Japanese tourist?
“Radenska in all corners of the world” campaign (late 1980s)
Radenska later introduced versions of its King spring (Kraljevi vrelec) waters made with various levels of CO2 and added flavours, along with drinks from other springs. Several soft drinks, based on these mineral waters, have also been introduced to the market, including Swing (1978) and Stil (Style) introduced in 1983.
Early 1990s campaign, shot in Portorož
Early 1990s Stil campaign
Radin water commercial, from the second half of the 1990s. Being topless on TV used to be as acceptable for women as it still is for men. As far as I’m concerned, times don't always change for the better.
Radenska 2015 campaign with sportspeople
